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TRP: Graverunners (Host Goro)
Coyote: at 1:09 PM START: Multi-person hodge-podge roleplay. Mishka goes to see Goro's body. Takes place directly after/during Larkin's talk with Renar. Others join and leave as necessary. No strict post order. They dragged Goro to a small cellar and left a guard there. Mishka itched, watching it. He followed them into the cellar. The two guards that had him couldn’t figure out how to free him from the lariat. “I’ll do it,” Mishka muttered, and sat down behind him. Untwisting the gold rope was harder than it look, and it took him a few minutes of concentration. His nerves were on fire the whole time. Seven seconds in. Seven seconds out. There were too many tasks to juggle right now. Renar might know what Hansel did to Kheman; Larkin had said before that she didn’t actually know. This would be a prime opportunity for Renar to have Hansel disappeared. Mishka couldn’t fucking relax. And there were hosts around the building. Mishka could hear her voice whispering in his ear, still. Come join us. I miss you, gorgeous. Was he still infected, somehow? Was she talking to him? How? Was it just another auditory hallucination brought on by the lack of sleep? None of these options were good. There was no one to tell, though. Goro was hosted; Hansel couldn’t do anything about it, so there was no sense in worrying him; Turtle Kid might blurt it out to everyone that he was crazy; Larkin Basha was dangerous; Raef was gone. He’d have to ignore it. It was probably just another hallucination. Once Mishka freed the lasso, he moved far back. The two guards wrestled Goro’s body to the ground and forced shackles onto his wrists, then chained him to the wall. As soon as he was completely restrained, Goro’s eyes went glazed and blank, and his body went completely motionless. That was bad. Real fucking bad. That meant Diva was showing him something, which meant nothing Mishka told him would get through. Mishka kicked him with his boot, not wanting to touch it with his hands. “Hey, you.” The head moved, tilting towards him, and chills shot down Mishka’s back. “I don’t know if you can hear me or not, sugar-plum. But Diva—she can make you see things, fake memories and events. None of it’s real. Don’t fucking believe any of it. Don’t talk to anyone in there. Nobody. We’re going to kill Diva as soon as we’re all rested. You only have to last a day. It’ll feel longer, though, a lot fucking longer.” Maybe that got through, or maybe it didn’t. Mishka could stay here and repeat it periodically in case he saw the body acting aware. Jen: at 1:18 PM Coming down the stairs, Larkin saw the runners were gone and Renar's men were going about their own business (which was mostly clutching weapons and staring out through the boards before the windows with worried faces). She made her way down into the cellar Renar used to host events for his friends and business partners. Before the door in the back, four of Shrewd's heavy boys lounged. Big, burly man that lived up to their name. "Got the weird one back in the cell," one of them said when she passed. She got to the small room where Renar liked to keep 'special guests' just in time to see Haeth kicking at Goro's feet and trying to talk to him. Larkin walked up to stand beside him, but keeping a distrance between them. "Any reaction?" Coyote: at 1:23 PM "None. She might keep him non-responsive the whole time." Mishka moved a few feet back. Hansel was in the room with them, looking grim as usual, so Mishka went there and pressed his side against Hansel's. (One spell slot left tonight. And he could take one person with him.) "It'd help if we could keep him entertained, somehow, or give him chances to... break through and hear things. Might be some comfort, if it works." Jen: at 1:31 PM "Hm." Larkin looked down at Goro. Poor guy looked like shit, all busted up, dirty, with the makeshift gag in his mouth and hanging from the wall. The open eyes, though, that was worst. There was nothing behind them and if not for the sound of his breathing, there was no indication he was alive at all. "Goro said, Ripley broke through, once. Used bright light to scare the bitch off long enough. Might be worth a shot... I bet he's fucking pissed in there." Coyote: at 1:32 PM The light from the cantrip spells Goro had cast faded, earlier, when the kid was hosted. Mishka cast a look around the room. "What would we use?" Jen: at 1:36 PM Larkin held up a finger and went back into the main cellar. After a minute of rummaging around, she returned holding a gas lamp. "Dunno if it's enough but I can make it flare up brighter if need be." Coyote: at 1:37 PM "Huh. Well... it might only work once. If she's not paying attention and hasn't heard this already." Jen: at 1:38 PM She gave him an irritated look. "You wanny try it or not?" Coyote: at 1:39 PM "Look, I'll be blunt," Mishka said. "I don't think he can see or hear anything right now. If you're right and that light manages to break through for a second, and he gets a split second to see what's going on, maybe he should see you, not me." Jen: at 1:42 PM Fuck, she had to admit that made sense. She shrugged. "Suit yourself. Shouldn't be me either, though. Here, hold this for a sec." Larkin pressed the lamp into his hands, then went back out to look for Sugar. Coyote: at 1:46 PM Sugar was swaddling Ripley's body in a tightly blanket in the warehouse. She tucked in the last fold. Her face was paler than usual, but her hands were steady. Some people were watching her oddly, but she ignored them. She glanced up when Larkin came by. "Is Goro somewhere safe?" she asked quietly. Jen: at 1:51 PM "Safe as can be, I s'pose." Larkin took a glance at what Sugar was doing. Oh right, the body. She'd almost forgotten about it. That was another thing - if only they had managed to bring Ripley back to life before Goro got hosted. She'd have been invaluable fighting against Diva. Larkin's hand went to the gem she still wore tucked away under her clothing, but remembered the speech Goro had given her on not to fucking use it on Ripley. Fucking hell, man. "We'll try talking to him. Try giving him a chance to break through, I mean. You should be there, if he does. He'll want to see you." Coyote: at 1:55 PM Sugar nodded, steadying herself. She hesitated, then left the body behind, trailing after Larkin into the cellar. Mishka and Hansel were there, and a guard. Goro sat in blood-stained clothing, chained against the wall. She remembered him resting his hand on her injured shoulder during the battle, healing her with a flash of light before Ripley ripped into her. His hand was still wet with her blood. Jen: at 2:11 PM Larkin took the lamp back out of Haeth's hands and clicked the ignition. The gas caught and she turned it up until it shone as bright as could be. Goro's body showed no reaction to it yet but she'd assumed someone would have to go close anyway. She glanced back at the others, standing in a small array. None of them looked like they had any inclination to do that. Larkin put on an inquiring look but got no reaction. Fine then. She set the lamp down in front of Goro, out of reach of his feet should Diva decide to kick at it, then went to untie the gag. She fumbled with the knot as a sense of dread began creeping up on her. Being this close to this hosted body was... something more than just deeply uncomfortable. She cursed under her breath when the knot wouldn't give and she had to get out a knife and cut it off, all the while feeling like some kind of trap was about to spring on her. When she'd finally gotten the gag off, Larkin moved back quickly, half expecting Goro to suddenly stirr to life and cast a spell. But nothing happened. He still hung limp, mouth hanging open. "Alright, here we go," she said, more to herself, and picked up the lamp to hold it close to his face. At a snap of her fingers, the gas flame flared up bright white. Lina: at 2:34 PM He'd been keeping up a constant stream of vitriol for his little darling Diva. If she was going to put him through the living hell of being hosted, he'd put her through hell right back. He'd be the first person to throw her off through the sheer force of his hatred. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Hahaha, you fucking lost. Look at that, Mishka, ballsy motherfucker, walking right up to me. He knows you can't get him. Are you mad you lost him? Are you mad my friends are smarter and stronger than you? You worthless bitch. You have nothing. And then Larkin, with the gas lamp. Smart fucking cookie. You don't stand a chance against them. Or me. Watch me. Watch what I can do. Screaming, and kicking, and clawing against her hold on him. And when the light blinded them, pouring into their eyes, he felt something slip. He felt his own attempts at gasping for air, and his flailing against Diva became flailing against the chains. A scream slipped out of him, but his was his own voice. "Kill her! Kill the bitch!" Larkin, and Sugar, and Mishka, and Hansel, and Roddy. He was so fucking scared for them, and Diva had to know it. But this moment was for them, not for her. "Don't die," he yelled. And then, because it might be his last chance, "I love you all." Then Diva's voice screeched out of him again, and forced him back down. His body fell limp. That last part, that was going to be hella fucking embarrassing to explain once this was all over, and Diva was dead. But on the off chance it did not end, and Diva did not die, he was willing to take the risk and let them know how he felt. Because that was something Diva could never take away from him. She could never make it not be true. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Izzy: at 2:56 PM Huh. So the light thing did really work that well. Good to know. Hansel stepped forward, not sure if Goro was already too far under again to hear, but not caring either way. He'd say it again, later, if he had to. "Hey, dipshit. We're gonna fuckin' kill her and get you back. That's what I told Mishka and it's what I'm telling you. So don't fuckin' worry about it." He reached out and tousled Goro's hair roughly. He'd fuckin' hate that. "Jackass." He didn't have anything else to say -- only certainty. Hopefully Goro would get that much, at least. He stepped back again, next to Mishka, and put an arm around him. Muse: at 3:06 PM Roddy had wandered over when he'd seen a crowd begin to cluster around the Diva-puppet that had once been a teammate. Mostly because there wasn't anything better to do. Anything to distract from the buzzing fear in the back of his mind, churning in his stomach. (Just a remnant of that spell. That's all that was.) He nearly jumped out of his shell when Larkin flashed the lamp and Diva started to scream. Except that wasn't Diva's voice- that was Goro. Oh Helm he was still in there. He gripped the doorframe with a white-knuckle grip, staring at the once again still body lying there. Lying there with its vacant black eyes. Slowly he pulled away from the door, backing away until his shell thumped against the wall. And then sank down to the ground, burying his face in his knees. Goro was hosted. And if they didn't stop Diva soon, that might be Hansel, and Sugar, and Larkin and Raef and- and- Roddy too. Roddy didn't want to die. Or be hosted. But when it came down to it, which was worse? Jen: at 3:26 PM Larkin flinched when Goro's body jerked up and he began to scream, not having expected such a violent reaction. Shit, but that meant he was fighting. Of course. Give that bitch hell, man. She moved closer again, going down on one knee to look into his vacant eyes and patted him on the cheek as if he was just unconscious and a light slap could wake him up. Nothing happened, of course. "Aw, fuck. Come on, buddy." She held the lamp up and into his face one more time, making the light bright, but Diva seemed to have him pulled under again. Reluctantly, Larkin got up and turned off the gas lamp, then looked back at the others with an "And now?"- expression. Coyote: at 3:47 PM Sugar wrapped her arms around Goro’s body and pressed her face into Goro’s shoulder. The tip of her tail thumped around the ground. Something in Mishka relaxed. That little weirdo. Just like Joan. He’d be fine, then. They’d all be fine. He looked around the room. Turtle Kid looked upset, but he was a kid, so that was normal. Hansel and Larkin seemed unfazed. Sugar looked at Goro like Goro was the hero in some old epic. Huh. Somebody… Somebody was going to have to spin this into an epic once it was all other. Someone was going to have to tell the Prince. Mishka could do that. The good Bishop would likely have his own version of events, but Mishka could don the mask and disguise himself as various common folk and spread the story quietly in taverns—the story of how the Graverunners saved the city after being outlawed—he’d have to tweak some details to leave himself out, but— For the first time in a few days, Mishka stopped making backup plans for when they lost, and started making backup plans for when they won. “That was weirdly wholesome,” he said. “Mi—ah. Larkin, did Renar suggest a place for us to bed tonight? I’m assuming he’s allowing us to stay, given we have not yet been thrown out.” Jen: at 3:53 PM "He's letting you stay down here. No guest beds, sorry. I guess I can find some blankets for you, though." Coyote: at 4:04 PM Sugar nodded and let go of Goro. They ought to gag him again, she thought. Maybe a little more delicately, this time. The side of his lips were red and chafed already. She didn't want Diva to swallow the cloth and choke Goro with it while they were sleeping. Sugar took off her outer tunic and cut a neat strip from it, leaving herself in her simple white undershirt. She tied it up into a thick, soft knot. Then she cut a second much thicker, longer strip, and folded it over on itself several times. She tied the knot to the middle of the strip, then pushed it firmly into Goro's mouth and tied it comfortably but firmly behind his head. She looked back and saw the others were staring at her. "What?" she said. Jen: at 4:19 PM Larkin coughed and bit back a comment. "Nothing. Looks, uhm, looks secure." She should probably go talk to Sonny now and see if he could get them anything useful for the fight. On that note, though... Larkin bent down again and stuck a hand into one of Goro's pockets- or tried to. The thing was sewn shut, of course. Damn, where did he keep his wands? "Sorry, man," she said as she began patting him down. He'd probably not appreciate this amount of physical contact but they needed every advantage they could get. A healing wand counted as a big one in that department. She found it and tucked it into her belt, then slipped the ring from his finger and also took the mahagony staff he carried. No idea what that thing did but it looked useful. Coyote: at 4:22 PM Sugar left to seek out bedding and blankets. Mishka knelt next to Roddy. "Hey. Turtle Kid. Wanna play cards? I'll tell you pirate stories." Muse: at 4:29 PM Roddy glanced up- oh it was Mishka. What'd he want? Other than playing cards. "I'm not gonna bet anything," he muttered, usual flair to his mannerisms dulled down to almost nonexistence. "So if you want your money back find some other way." Coyote: at 4:33 PM "Shit, yeah. Forgot I was broke and I gave you all my money. You know, because I needed to borrow the scrying eyes you broke into my house and stole. Guess we'll play with sticks?" Muse: at 4:37 PM Wait what. "Your broke?" That was interesting. Roddy'd always figured Mishka was rich. Although with Diva having taken over the city... "Sticks work. And I'm not sorry about that. You were a bad guy then." Roddy was running on autopilot. Trying to act like nothing was wrong, but his movements and words were listless and slow. Coyote: at 4:45 PM "Sounds good to me." Mishka pulled out a deck of cards and started dealing out a hand. He didn't actually have sticks, but they could play for copper pennies. END Category:Text Roleplay